POWYS Teaching Health Board met on the 10th of January at midday to discuss plans to tackle NHS funding pressures, putting forward a proposal to increase waiting times for cross-border treatment by up to 11 weeks.
As Powys has no district general hospital, nearly half of patients in the area receive their care in England.
James Evans MS called on the Welsh Labour Government to cover Powys Teaching Health Board’s funding shortfall of £9.9 million to prevent deliberate extensions to waiting times for patients in Mid Wales on top of the record waiting lists the Welsh NHS is experiencing. Both Welsh Conservative Members of the Senedd for Powys, James Evans and Russell George have been engaging with the Health Board to achieve a change in proposal.
Commenting, James Evans MS, Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and Senedd Member for Brecon and Radnorshire said: “This is a victory for common sense and shows what Welsh Conservatives can achieve even in opposition.
“The proposal should never have been considered in the first place, but is a symptom of Labour’s failure to adequately fund health in rural Welsh communities, like Powys.
“Welsh Conservatives like myself and my colleague Russell George have applied this pressure and delivered a change in policy. This makes me more optimistic about the positive change we can deliver to fix Wales in government.”
Russell George MS, Welsh Conservative Senedd Member for Montgomeryshire added:
“The Health Board will further discuss the proposal this Wednesday, and I expect them to agree on a recommendation before them to drop the plan which would have seen Powys patients wait longer for treatment than their English counterparts.
“If the original proposals were agreed, it could have meant hospital waiting times extending by up to 11 weeks or longer for Powys residents. This was of course, unacceptable.
“I am feeling optimistic about the right outcome on Wednesday. There are, however, further questions about the longer-term financial support for our local Health Board.”
